EMPATHY for another person is being fully present to that other person: checking in with what they’re feeling, what’s alive for them in that moment.
Empathy Buddies practice empathy skills. They form a unique and revolutionary relationship in which they agree to:
● Give and receive empathy equally.
● Do it in a safe, non-judgmental and respectful environment.
Unlike typical, back and forth, chit-chat conversation, the listener does not give advice or sympathy, but focuses solely on:
● Hearing and guessing the FEELINGS and NEEDS of the speaker, sometimes called an EMPATHY GUESS : “Are you feeling X, because you are needing Y”?
More Information: http://www.nycnvc.org/empathy_network/empathy-buddy-handbook/